Rick's New Disco, Very Nice. 2001 TD5 ES Auto.

I've bought this to take over workhorse duties from my Defender. The Defender has given me numerous very serious and expensive engine problems over the last couple of years and has just broken down catastrophically again. That was the last straw and it's been banished to the naughty corner indefinitely until I have the time and inclination to sort it out.

But more about the Disco.
It's a 2001 Discovery 2 TD5 ES Auto. Being an ES it's quite nice inside with full leather seating, fake wood trim, an upmarket sound system, electric windows, seats, mirrors and twin sunroofs. It also has climate control both front and rear, 18" alloys and cruise control. It's very nice and comfortable to drive, although I've never been a fan of autos and I find it never changes gear when I would want to if it was manual. I suppose I'll get used to it. Oh, and the previous owner had a Storm Tuning stage 2 remap done as well.

So anyway, here's the Disco in all it's glory as bought:

Actually, that's not quite as I bought it as I had to very hurriedly provide it with a roof rack as I needed to get some timber for a small project in the garden the day after I bought it so I made some bars from the remains of my old garage door runners and attached them to the roof rails with u-bolts for a quick and dirty solution. That will be changed in due course as I need more carrying capacity but it'll do for now.

Nice and clean,

Hope you checked it thoroughly , rear chassis and all. Now make sure you have the EKA code.

Cheers

It's very nice and all that but it doesn't quite suit my life as it is. I happened to know someone who was breaking a modified Disco 1 so I got a pair of rock sliders and a winch bumper for not very much money and have spent the last couple of days fitting them. The factory side steps were in a pretty poor state anyway and the passenger side one collapsed the first time my wife climbed into the car.





The side steps were an easy fit but the winch bumper required some modding. I'm not familiar with the differences between Disco 1's and 2's and I bought them thinking they'd bolt straight on. I'm learning. They're all a bit crusty as they've been used for their intended purpose, as they will be with me, but they will be getting cleaned and painted soon.

There are other mods in the pipeline so I'll be updating this thread soon again.

neilly said:

Hope you checked it thoroughly , rear chassis and all.

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Yes I did and the chassis is sound.

neilly said:

Now make sure you have the EKA code.

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The what? (It's OK, I Googled it. I'm one of those people who can actually look stuff up themselves.)
Mine doesn't have a separate key fob. There are a couple of buttons on the key itself, and it came with a spare key. Not sure if I need an EKA code for this. If I do, I don't have it as the car didn't come with a handbook or other paperwork, apart from the V5 and MOT.

DefenderPilot said:

Yes I did and the chassis is sound.



The what? (It's OK, I Googled it. I'm one of those people who can actually look stuff up themselves.)
Mine doesn't have a separate key fob. There are a couple of buttons on the key itself, and it came with a spare key. Not sure if I need an EKA code for this. If I do, I don't have it as the car didn't come with a handbook or other paperwork, apart from the V5 and MOT.

Click to expand...

You may still need it, you can get it from the dealers ,using nanocom or online if you pay for it ( providing it has not been changed.) Make sure the spare key works and that the drivers door lock works with the key.

Most of it you can read about in the D2 buyers guide in the Disco section.

Cheers

Thanks for the info neilly. I know someone who has a Nanocom; the guy I bought it from actually. I'll ask him if he knows the EKA or get him to loan me the Nanocom.

You will probably never need it, but right PITA if you ever do and you aint got it.

Does it have difflock?

Cheers

D1 rock sliders are an easy fit? Did you have to modify them? I still have my D1, would be great if it can donate the sliders to the D2!

AdamD1 said:

D1 rock sliders are an easy fit? Did you have to modify them? I still have my D1, would be great if it can donate the sliders to the D2!

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No modification required. You do need to drill bolt holes in the sills though as the holes on the D1 rock sliders don't line up with the trim fastener holes on the D2. You also need to drill bolt holes in the dumb irons where the plates on the rock sliders line up with them. If you offer up your rock sliders you'll see just what I mean. If you want clarification I'll get some photos for you sometime. I'm just about to start a two week stint in work though so might not get the time until my next shift break.

neilly said:

Does it have difflock?

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I don't know. I'll find out. There are a lot of buttons on the dash and centre console which I haven't gone over thoroughly yet. There's also a "MODE" button on the auto lever surrounding trim which lights up a light on the dashboard that I didn't recognise which I was going to look up but forgot about. Maybe it's that?

Think you will find that mode button is normal/sport, most LR autos have it.
It just holds gears a little longer (revs more)
Enjoy the button pressing hope they all work.

Think neily is referring to transfer box diff lock?

J

Excellent, would have swapped them over ages ago has I known they’d fit, just assumed they were different as they were sold for the D1.

neilly said:

Does it have difflock?

Click to expand...

Nope. Transfer box lever only has high, neutral and low on the knob.

A little job for my next shift break.

So the suspension lift has been completed and it sits much higher now, even though the lift was only a modest 40mm. I suppose the old springs were quite worn, especially the front, as it had a nose down stance when I bought it. Since I last updated the thread I've also fitted some proper roof bars and mounted my recovery pole on them. The bars will support a full length flat roof rack which I'm going to make myself from 20mm box section steel and aluminium tread plate. I've also fitted a steering guard and the winch from my Defender. Oh, and the front removable tow bar from my Defender.




The grille butchery to fit the winch wasn't quite as bad as I thought it was going to be.





The steering guard needed a little spacing as it was fouling the steering bar where it joins the bracket that also attaches the steering damper.

I do like the front tow hitch.

Was looking at fitting one on the 90 for tight storage of the trailers.

Was it a kit?

J

@marjon
It's a home made special. I designed it to bolt underneath the winch bumper on the Defender as that is a tubular bumper so there was nowhere to bolt a tow ball to. It uses the bolt pattern for the winch so it bolts straight through the winch plate and into the winch itself. I can't claim all the credit though as I don't weld. My brother did that for me.

Brilliant looking thread - Lucky sod being in the Shetlands

Ok thanks.
I guess I will have to get the welder out

I have a receiver and bar available (to butcher at will). It’s only for moving trailers about in the tight space, don’t think the quad will quiet do the big horse box.

Cheers

J

@marjon
Here's a link to the original thread I started when I was looking for a front tow hitch. It's had a lot more use than I said it was going to get. There's a lot more detail in the thread about making it and how it works.

@doriz
Thanks. And yes, I do consider myself very lucky. Shetland is a brilliant place to live and work. Best move I ever made.